Pentium 987 vs Opteron X3216
Pentium 987
Opteron X3216
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Pentium 987 is positioned at rank 1052 and the Opteron X3216 is on rank 395, so the Opteron X3216 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 987
Performance Per Dollar Opteron X3216
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium 987 | Opteron X3216 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Excavator (2017−2018) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium 987 | Opteron X3216 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 987 and Opteron X3216
Pentium 987
The Pentium 987 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 February 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,487 points. Launch price was $134.
Opteron X3216
The Opteron X3216 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Excavator (2017−2018) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB (total). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FP4. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,498 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium 987 and Opteron X3216 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.5 GHz on the Pentium 987 versus 3 GHz on the Opteron X3216 — a 66.7% clock advantage for the Opteron X3216 (base: 1.5 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Pentium 987 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Opteron X3216 uses Excavator (2017−2018) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 987 scores 1,487 against the Opteron X3216's 1,498 — a 0.7% lead for the Opteron X3216.
| Feature | Pentium 987 | Opteron X3216 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.5 GHz | 3 GHz+100% |
| Base Clock | 1.5 GHz | 1.6 GHz+7% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 1 MB (total)+300% |
| Process | 32 nm | 28 nm-13% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Excavator (2017−2018) |
| PassMark | 1,487 | 1,498 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 987 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Opteron X3216 uses FP4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium 987 | Opteron X3216 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1023 | FP4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
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